Battle of Lewiston

The Battle of Lewiston (19 December 1813) was a minor battle of the War of 1812. In 1813, general Phineas Riall and a detachment of 500 British troops and Mohawk Indian auxilliaries invaded New York in a campaign to reduce Fort Niagara, and they brushed aside local militia at Lewiston before burning down several villages, including Manchester, Buffalo, and Black Rock. The expedition ultimately failed to capture Fort Niagara from the Americans.

Background
Upon arrival at Quebec in November, General Phineas Riall was sent to command in the Montreal region. Soon afterwards he accompanied Gordon Drummond to Upper Canada, where the latter took over as commander of the forces and administrator. Drummond was determined to attack the American forces on the Niagara frontier, and on 18 December he mounted an expedition against Fort Niagara (near Youngstown), N.Y. As soon as the assault force reached the American side of the Niagara River on the morning of the 19th, Riall crossed the river at Lewiston with 500 regulars and a similar number of Indians.

Battle
Riall’s force had originally been intended to act as a reserve to the attackers of Fort Niagara, but because it fell so quickly he was able to act elsewhere. Encountering virtually no opposition, he entered Lewiston and captured a quantity of ammunition and supplies. As the Americans retreated, Riall moved through Youngstown and a Tuscarora Indian village, leaving behind charred ruins, as the Americans had at Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake) earlier in the month. All parts of Riall’s force committed depredations, but the Indians were particularly cruel and killed several civilians.

Aftermath
It is unfortunate that the operation got out of hand, because in other respects it was highly successful. Riall advanced past Fort Schlosser and Manchester (Niagara Falls), both bf which were razed, as far as Tonawanda Creek, less than ten miles from Buffalo, before returning to Queenston via Lewiston Though a vast array of stores and many soldiers had been captured, Drummond was not satisfied. He wanted to ensure that any threat on the Niagara frontier was eliminated for a considerable time, and on 29 December he instructed Riall to cross the Niagara again, this time to disperse the increasing American forces and raze the villages of Buffalo and Black Rock (Buffalo) “in order to deprive the enemy of the cover which these places afford.” Provisions and flour were to be brought back, and any stores incapable of being moved were to be destroyed. Most important, Riall was to burn three American naval vessels on shore near Buffalo Creek. Drummond issued strict instructions against looting and intoxication in order to avoid the excesses of Lewiston.